England skipper Eoin Morgan has said unequivocally that Ben Stokes will not be considered for their final round robin T20I clash with New Zealand.
Stokes joined the squad after he answered to charges of affray in the Bristol Magistrates Court, entering a plea of not guilty.
Despite England’s poor for in the tri-series so far they still have a shot at making the final but will do so without the devastating allrounder.
Morgan told the press in Hamilton that the risk of injury to Stokes was too high for him to play on Sunday.
The England skipper said: “We’re not expecting Ben to play, he only got off a long flight yesterday. He’ll be taking the next couple of days really easy. There’s a big risk of injury in the next few days so he’ll be taking a light load.”
Stokes has batted in the nets since arriving in New Zealand and took part in fielding drills but England will air on the side of caution.
The allrounder missed the entire tour to Australia when he was suspended while police investigated an incident outside of a nightclub in Bristol on September 25.
Stokes has not been cleared of charges but will be able to take part in the ODI and Test series against New Zealand.
